Women in Law Enforcement

Throughout European history up until the Early 20th Century, the role of policing society, preserving order, enforcing the laws, and arresting those who break the laws, was considered to be an ordained male responsibility. However, the continuance of one of the oldest crimes -- prostitution -- was seen as a major social problem and one that needed police supervision.

The French had developed a special unit called the police des moeurs, to regulate female prostitutes and the suspected premises involved. As Emsley points out

Recognizing the difficulties which could arise if policemen alone were required to arrest and hold women in custody, possibly even to search them, women began to be employed in police stations specifically to deal with female suspects (Emsley, 1999, 102).

. . .
termined that the LAPD discriminated on the basis of sex. Since then, the LAPD has been ordered twice by the court to increase its numbers of women, a mandate that has been largely ignored, records show (Iannone & Iannone, 2000, 244). In fact, there is evidence that there is a covert all- male organization within the LAPD called Men Against Women, whose ultimate objective was to drive women from the force using harassment and intimidation. The group was formed over beers in the 1980s following a federal court order demanding the department hire more women officers (Iannone & Iannone, 2000). A 1995 survey of female police officers in a medium-sized department found that 68 percent of the women had been sexually harassed while on the job by a member of their agency. In addition, many of the problems faced by women in policing exist because law enforcement agencies do not take women into account in the workplace. In addition, supervisors are often not trained in department policies on pregnancy or childcare assistance. Uniforms and equipment are often not ordered in women's sizes. And physical education instructors do not properly pace female recruits, which results in injuries; and, ultimately, a disproportionate number of w
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Women Policing, Iannone Iannone, Law Enforcement, Los Angeles, Enforcement Introduction, Almanac Online, Throughout European, Business Journal, Emsley Recognizing, Supreme Court, law enforcement, los angeles, police officers, almanac online, police department, la almanac online, women law, la almanac, women law enforcement, iannone iannone, women policing, iannone 2000, iannone iannone 2000, women aspects law, los angeles police,
Approximate Word count = 1632
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Women in Law Enforcement